This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to carry out a grazing management program that provides increased operational flexibility to authorized grazing permittees and lessees on federal land. Under the bill, operational flexibility means a change to grazing management that (1) modifies a grazing lease or permit to allow for adjustments to livestock grazing use; or (2) is based on emerging landscape conditions resulting from changes in weather, forage production, effects of wildfire or drought, or other temporary circumstances that impact resource conditions.
At the request of a grazing permittee or lessee, Interior must develop and analyze at least one alternative to provide operational flexibility in livestock grazing to account for changing conditions. If Interior determines that such an alternative is the preferred alternative, Interior must incorporate it into the terms and conditions of the applicable grazing permit or lease.
Upon the request of a permittee or lessee for interim operational flexibility, Interior may allow a temporary variance to the terms and conditions of a grazing permit or lease to address temporary circumstances impacting resource conditions. In approving such a request, Interior may authorize an adjustment to the beginning or ending date of the season of use, or both, or to water transportation, subject to certain conditions.
A grantee or permittee using interim operational flexibilities must develop and use a monitoring plan to track the effects of the flexibilities on the long-term ecological health of the land.
